Shoe-tree



R. SMALL SHOE TREE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 6, 1924 m Mi 0 2 am/ 6 a L a W R. D. SMALL June 16, 1925.

SHOE TREE Filed Dec. 6, 1924 2 Shqets-$heet 2 Patented June 16, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,542,419 PATENT. oFFIcE.

RALPH D. SMALL, or cHIeAeo, ILLINOIS.

SHOE-TREE.

--App1ication filed. December 6, 1824. Serial No. 754,247..

To all whom, it may concerwvf Be it known that LsRnLr'Ir D. SMALL,-a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook. and the State of Illinoisyhave invented a certain new and useful Improvement .in Shoe-Trees, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

My invention relates toshoe trees and has a number oi objects and advantages in view. In accordance with one characteristic of the invention the shoe tree has a shoehorn iniorporatcd therewith to be available for use instantly when the shoe tree, is removed. In accordance with another characteristic of the invention the toeand heel pieces of the tree are relatively adjustable laterally of the tree that is thus adaptable to lasts oft ditlering curvatures; The toe and heel pieces are desirably joined by a link that is in swinging assembly with both of these pieces and is curved upwards from thebasc of tree adjacent the toe piece to snuglyun' derlic the same when the tree;.is to be adjusted for packaging. f

In accordance with another characteristic of the invention, a friction clutch is employed which has two complemental members. one upon the heel piece and the other upon the toe piece'l One of the clutch members extends from the tree piece carryingit toward the other tree piece, and the other clutch member has gripping frictional engagementat ditfcrentplaces along the first whereby the length of the shoemay be adjusted by, merely relatively slipping the clutch members along the tree, no spring belts or other supplemental; devices being required. I

The toe piece of the tree is preferably longitudinally divided and where such a toe piece is employed I use-a ,wedge that is interposed between the sections v of the ,toe piece to spread them into tight engagement with the toe of the shoe within which the tree is inserted. I also provide means for maintaining the toe sectionsin suitable relation in all adjustments effected by the W dge. V

The invention has other characteristics and will be more fully explained in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side View showing the preferred form of tree inserted within a shoe; Fig. 2 is a plan View; Fig. 3 is a plan View of the heel piece straightened into aligning connection therewith.

tree is withdrawn from the shoe horn ls thus instantly available for use in connection with the shoe: from which the,

ment with its link that couples it; with the toe piece, the shoe horn being shown as adjusted for use; Fig. Al is a longitudinal sectional view showing the tree collapsed for packaging or storage; Fig. 5 isabottom view of the front part of the tree; Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line 66 of Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line 77 of Fig. l; Fig. 8 is a rear View of the toe portion of thetree; and Fig. 9 is a sectional View on line 9-9 of Fig. 4.

The heel piece is T shaped, being inclusive of an arcuatehorizontal portion 1 conforming to the curvature of the heel; and a forwardly projecting stem 2. The toe piece is preferably longitudinally divided into sections 3 and a. A device is employed for connecting the heel and toepieecs which is preferably inclusive of a tongue or link 5 flexibly connected at its front end in any suitable way with the toe piece, and an upright link 6 normally transverse to the tongue 5 and stem 2 and pivotally connected with the latter to have vertical swing- Said tongue or link extends toward the heel piece and is normally above stem 2. The link 6 is inelusive of a closed. loop portion 6 through which the tongue or link 4), that is preferably thin bar, i s passed, the parts 5. 6

constituting the complemcntal members of a ring friction clutch whose member 6' has changeable gripping itrictional engagement with and at different places along clutch member to adjust the length of the tree. hen the shoe tree is being adjusted for use, the clutch members are relatively positioned to suitjthe tree to the length of the shoe. The tree is inserted within the shoe in an initially upwardly buckled adjustment, whereafter the button Tupon the rear end. of the tongue or link is pressed to straighten the tree into tight engagement with the heel and toe of the containing shoe.

The shoe hornv 8 is pivotally connected at itstip with the stem 2 as indicated at 9 and may be" swung crosswise of this stem into a position In whlch it may be used, when the The shoe tree has just been removed. 'W'hen'theshOe horn is adjusted to an out-ofservice position, it is retained in. such position by the engagement of its base end with the ridge formation upon the top side of the heel part 1, the horn being of a, length requiring it to be slightly sprung into this engagement.

As illustrated, the connecting device 5, 6 has a horizontal and preferably a universal swinging connection with the toe piece, which permits the heel and toe pieces to be relatively adjustable laterally of the tree, whereby the tree may be adjusted to suit lasts of differing curvatures.

here a divided toe piece is employed, my invention also includes improved mechanism for adjusting the sections of the toe piece laterally of each other and for 1naintaining these toe sections in cooperative relation in their various relative adjustments. This mechanism includes a forwardly taperinghorizontal wedge 11 with whose rear end the forward end of link 5 is universally joined as indicated at 12. The converging or wedging faces of the wedge engage the inner sides of the abutment posts 13 which depend from the toe sections, the toe piece being in the form of an inverted metallic dish to receive its adjusting mechanism and to afford ample ventilation. Other abutment posts 14, spaced apart from the posts 13 longitudinally of the tree, are embraced by a yoke 15 integrally formed with the wedge and having inner sides sloping similarly to the converging sides of the wedge, to limit the spreading action of the wedge at the forward part of the toe piece and to assist in bringing the toe sections together. Links 16 are pivotally connected at their outer ends with posts 13 and are pivotally connected with each other at their inner ends. The pin 17 by which the inner ends of the links 16 are connected has sliding con.- nection with the wedge by being projected through the narrow longitudinal slot 18 formed in the wedge. By this arrangement the toe sections are constrained to move equal distances from and toward their dividing plane. The relative movements of the toe sections are perpendicular to this plane, a result which is further assured by the horizontal transverse pin 19 at the forwardend of one toe section which is received within a socket 20 upon the other toe section.

The shoe tree is collapsible into smaller space, and in order that this space may be reduced as niuch as possible, the forward end of link 5 that is adjacent the toe piece, is upwardly curved so that it may more closelynnderlie the toe piece, as indicated inFigJL N Changes ma'y be made without departing fror'n'my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claini:'

1. A shoe tree including a toe piece divided longitudinally of the. tree into sections; a wedge interposed between and engaging abutments provided upon said sections to spread said sections apait, and two links, one individual to and connected at its outer end with each toe section, said links having sliding connection at their inner ends with said wedge.

2. A shoe tree including a toe piece divided longitudinally of the tree into sections; a wedge interposed between and engaging abutments provided upon said sections; and a member upon said wedge embracing additional abutments provided upon said toe sections and that are spaced apart from the aforesaid abutments longitudinally of the tree, the lines of engagement of the additional abutments and the embracing member being directed similarly to the wedging sides of the wedge.

3. A shoe tree including a toe piece divided longitudinally of the tree into sections; a wedge interposed between and engaging abutments provided upon said sections to spread said sections apart, two links, one individual to and connected at its outer end with each toe section, said links being assembled at their inner ends; and a member upon said wedge embracing additional abutments provided upon said toe sections and that are spaced apart from. the aforesaid abutments longitudinally of the tree, the lines of engagement of the additional abutments and the embracing member being directed similarly to the wedging sides of the wedge to limit the spreading action of the wedgel 4. A shoe tree including a toe piece divided longitudinally of the tree into sec tions; a wedge interposed between and engaging abutments provided upon said sections to spread said sections apart; two links, one individual to and connected at its outer end with each toe section, said links having sliding connection at their inner ends with said'wedge; and a member upon said wedge embracing additional abutments providedupon said toe sections and that are spaced apart from the aforesaid abutments longitudinally of the tree, the lines of engagement of the additional abutments and the embracing member being directed similarly to the wedging sides of the wedge to limit the spreading action of the wedge.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my namel RALPH D. SMALL. 

